CULTURE

I was having dinner with a friend last night and she told me something that really made an insight in my mind.

“You actually created French Wink because you miss the French Art de Vivre and it is your way to bring it a little bit in your daily life!”

I never realized that but actually it is soooooo true. What am I missing so much from France? Of course there is my home town with my family and friends. But there is something else deep inside my skin, in my heart: the way of life. Its meaning.

My father who passed away last year, was the incarnation of that spirit. Take the time to enjoy every moment and feed you with these little beautiful things around you. Why not looking for the quality in every little bit of your life?

Being French means paying attention and being involve in everything you are doing.

Taking the time to enjoy. To appreciate. A meal. A drink. A walk. A fabric.

Do not take my plate or even ask for it unless I took the time to “sauce” it. “Saucer” means clean your plate with a piece of bread to get every tiny “miettes” or rest of the sauce it could stay.

I saw my grandmother raise and kill her own poultry. I want to know where my food is coming from before I put in my mouth.

I want to discover the flavor and taste. I don’t want artificial, I want actual fruit. Actual sugar. Actual chocolate not substitute.

And it is the same thing in every portion of my life. I want beauty. I want to know the process of creation of my sweater. I want to see the maker being passionate about his savoir-faire. And I am not talking about luxury. I am talking about affordable craftsmanship within a tight that I can wear more than a season.

I am taking care of my self. Of my body. Of my skin. Of my style. Because it is who I am. I am not just my mind. My body is mine too. And I want to take care of it. It is not just an envelope. Healthy and happy. I will tell you more next time about a beauty water, “Une eau de beauté”.

I love to hang out with my friends in a coffee or a “salon de the”. No taking out. Stay in and enjoy. Talking about politics, fashion, philosophy, art, recipe, love, innovation, everything counts. Making jokes, puns. Do you know this brand who plays with rebus?

Being French is a tribute to “langueur”. Take your time. I miss a place where feeling that kind of languor who is an absolute necessity for the act of creation. Remember what the impressionnists were trying to show the world: the time! The light.

And it is exactly what French Wink is meant to be. And every Francophile in United States is waiting for a place like that. I am. Our members and partners are. So we are creating it. Together.